Friday Favorites: Pardon the dust

You might want to put on a cute little mask before reading this, you guys, because I seem to have let more than a little dust settle on the blog over the past few weeks.

I call dibs on this one

And by few weeks I mean a solid month.
What, you didn’t notice? It’s okay, I didn’t really either.
Obviously.

I’d like to give you a bunch of really great excuses, like I was following Bruno Mars on tour or that I was in the middle of a permanent move out of the midwest, but all I’ve got for you is this:

I haven’t had anything to say.

I know what you’re thinking: Like when has that ever mattered?
It’s a valid thought, I’ll give you that.

So here I am.
Back on the blog, with nothing much to say, and a nose full of dust. Dust, however, that isn’t only coming from the pages of the blog but from my desk (which I haven’t sat at for over a month), my coffee table, my bedroom furniture, the carpets, screens, my drawer of workout clothes…

The list goes on.

Spring is here in the nick of time, you guys, because my house is in desperate need of cleaning, and I don’t know about you, but after a long, dark, cold winter seeing the glorious GREEN outside always makes me energized and motivated to give everything a purge and a good scrubbing.

I mean, in between trolling social media and various entertainment websites, obviously.

And today is truly springlike here in the sticks suburbs of Minneapolis.

Look! Baby leaves!!

So of course I’m sitting inside on the computer, talking to you.

I do have a load of sheets in the washer if that counts, and plans to go for a long trot* later this afternoon when the temperature reaches lukewarm, so I’m not feeling too guilty.

*trot:
Exactly what it sounds like. Faster than walking, slower than jogging. Practically a full prancercise gallop.

But enough about my exercise goals, let’s get to the Favorites.You’d think what with going radio-silent (or internet-silent) for the past month I’d have collected a treasure trove of them, wouldn’t you?
Yeah, you’d be wrong.Let’s get to the (few) things that have been making me happy this week month and you’ll discover why I haven’t had time for anything else.

1. Brush LetteringCall it calligraphy, call it doodling, call it scribbling: I call it therapy, and it’s been my absolute favorite way to spend every spare moment since early January.

Seriously, for the past few months if I haven’t been working, I’ve been sitting at my kitchen table practicing practicing practicing the art of lettering.

It’s become a serious obsession.
Over the past few months I’ve done some damage on Amazon.
And at Michaels.
And Hobby Lobby.
And Blick Art Supplies.

As a girl who’s always loved colorful pens and markers, this new hobby is right up my alley.

I’ve even tried my hand at watercolors, which I’ve learned I have a love/hate relationship with.

I’m not going to take too much time today giving you the details of my lettering journey — I have an entire post planned soon, don’t worry — but I will say this: spending an hour (three) every day lost in this type of creativity has been unbelievably therapeutic this winter. I mean, when you can use colors like these, how can your soul be anything but revived?

I even took a handful of supplies on spring break with me, because frankly the thought of going even one day without doodling depressed me, no matter that I was on my way to some seriously soul-thawing sunshine.

If you’re interested in seeing more of my practicing make sure to follow the YMFT Instagram page where I post too many a lot of my more successful attempts as well as the occasional hyper lapsed process video, and make sure to check back in a week or so for the post where I’ll show you what supplies work for me and a few good resources if you want to give it a try yourself!

Even a rainy day is happier with a little color, isn’t it?

2. Brooklyn Nine Nine

It’s astonishing to me — and as someone who loves television, more than a little bit embarrassing — that this keeps happening, you guys.

What keeps happening, you ask?

The fact that I let super hilarious, quality shows pass me by for years.

Seriously, first it was Brothers and Sisters, then it was Parks and Rec, then it was The Office (or maybe those last two were flipped), but Brooklyn Nine Nine is the latest show that I have had zero interest in for the past three years, until now.

And I cannot stop watching (thank you, Hulu).

I remember having a hater mentality toward this show immediately when it began back in 2013, without ever giving it a chance. Why the hating on it? I have no idea! Seriously, I like Andy Samburg! I didn’t ever even watch one episode before deciding it was crap … which TBH I’m now pretty happy about.

Why? Because I have like 78 episodes just waiting for me to binge watch!!

And just like Parks and Rec and The Office, I have my daughter(s) to thank for getting me hooked.

They have awesome senses of humor and pretty damn good judgment when it comes to television.
I’m so proud.

3. Springtime at BBWLast week I needed a couple of soaps at Bath & Body Works (and you know how I feel about Bath & Body Works) and this is what I came out with, 45 minutes later.

Hey, at least I stayed strong and avoided the 3-wick candles this time

The new spring scents smell aH-mazing, you guys.
However, after about 10 minutes of using pretty much all of the sample lotions all over my arms and every other piece of exposed skin, I did not.

Seriously, I had to go to the little model home sink in the corner and wash up to my elbows … with soap that smelled like lilac coconuts and didn’t really solve the problem.

As you can see, I did leave with two (six) new soaps, but also added these new favorites to my life:

As if the delicious COLOR of wasn’t enough to draw me in, the light fragrance sealed the deal.

I went with the clay body scrub (I used it at the little sink and it made my hands soft as silk and have since used it in the shower and am happy to report that it does the same for *cough* other body parts) and the tub of body butter, mainly because my bathroom drawer of tubes of BBW body cream currently doesn’t really close without force so I went with the tub that I can sit on my bathroom counter with the other 15 things that currently reside there.

I also love these new mini toothpaste tubes of lotion with fun names:

3 of like 10 yummy varieties – although I’m partial to the lighter scents

Sure, you can get a purse-sized tube of lotion at the Target dollar spot, but there’s no price on the happiness my little tube of “Good Vibes Only” gives me when I take it out of my bag.
I know there are others of you out there who get it … right?
RIGHT?!?!?!?

4. Good readsSince I like to include a book in the favorites when I can, I’ll share the only one I’ve read over the past month that’s worth mentioning.

I devoured this on vacation a few weeks ago.
It’s a quick, creepy read, and apparently soon to be a Ron Howard directed movie.
I can’t wait to be disappointed.

I just downloaded the sample of this book — last week’s People Magazine Book of the Week — and am excited to give it a try later this weekend ~

Inspired by a true story, a young woman is swept up in the glamour and excitement of chasing the title of Miss America 1950—only to vanish the night she wins.

Betty Jane Welch reluctantly enters the Miss Delaware contest to make her mother happy, only to surprisingly find herself the judges’ choice. Just like that, she’s catapulted into the big time, the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City.

Luckily, her pageant-approved escort for the week is the dashing but mercurial Griffin McAllister, and she falls for him hard. But when the spirited Betty unexpectedly wins the crown and sash, she finds she may lose what she wants most: Griff’s love. To keep him, she recklessly agrees to run away together. From the flashy carnival of the Boardwalk to the shadowy streets of Manhattan to a cliffside mansion in gilded Newport, the chase is on as the cops and a scrappy reporter secretly in love with the beauty queen threaten to unravel everything-and expose Griff’s darkest secret.

That’ll do it this week, my friends.
Told ya it was a short list, but between working 15 or so hours a week and practicing with my fancy markers for way too many hours a day, there really isn’t much time for anything else.
Except napping, naturally.

A couple of things I’ll file under “life lately” ~
Thing 1 is now halfway through her study abroad semester in Australia and doing some pretty extraordinary things and taking advantage of amazing opportunities! I’ll put a pin in that and promise to devote a post to it another time for the six of you who are interested.

Thing 2 is closing in on her 16th birthday.
I know.
Don’t even.
There will be words written.
Obviously.

I want to close by giving a shout out and big virtual hug to longtime (and very) loyal YMFT reader Bev, who had heart surgery and spent an entire month in the hospital recovering. So sorry I didn’t write anything to make you laugh Bev, although that could’ve been painful with all those chest tubes! Wishes for continued recovery and good health! xoxo

Share this:

Ronda -I just signed up for a class on brush lettering and am very excited to get lost in this art. Yours look beautiful.ReplyCancel

Michelle -THANK YOU!! I still feel like a beginner and I’ve been practicing EVERY DAY since January 1st. I hope you’ll love it!! Check back soon for a post about what sites/materials I love! And make sure to follow the instagram page! 🙂 Good Luck! Let me know how it goes!!ReplyCancel

Michelle -Thank you!! (Sorry for the delayed response!) You will easily “get lost!” I lose hours every day to it still. Good luck!ReplyCancel